When it Comes to TV ... Does Size Matter?

TV vs. ART placement in the home -- is this the new battle of the sexes?

My good friend just had her ceiling raised in the living room, and the effect is dramatic. They now have grand space for fabulous large pieces of art and her pre-Columbian collection.

But where would the TV go? They had gone from a 42” TV, which lived in the corner and was a bit small. But what size would they buy? A 55” seemed like a good idea, but both her husband and the TV installer assured her the 65” was the perfect size for the space.

And really, until it is hanging on your wall, you can’t know. So they went ahead with the 65”. The room was carefully thought out for surround sound – woofers and tweeters. And the only place to put it was smack in the center of the wall above the mantel. The perfect spot, right? Not so much.

As soon as he finished installing it, it was glaringly obvious to my friend that this was way too big.

Suddenly, their new space turned into a ‘sports bar” which now dominated the newly designed living room. Her husband (and mine) loved it! They said she would “get used to it”; that coming from a small TV, this would appear much larger than it really is.

Both my friend and I completely disagreed. Now the art pieces were relegated to “second place” in the scheme of the room. The TV clearly pulled focus.

So now what?

The installer told them they could not return the TV and exchange it for a smaller one (since when can you not return an item when it is the wrong size?).

This was now becoming a war of the sexes.

Sure, the movies they would watch would be more of a screening experience. They are about to retire, so won’t this be a good thing?

Or does art win over the squawk box?

I had a similar dilemma in my house. There was no place for the darn TV that wouldn’t dominate the room. I really didn’t want that. Guests would suggest (male friends mostly) I install a TV above my mantel. AUGH! Didn’t they understand that a fire and conversation go together and to promote conversation we must have a quiet space to do so rather than turn on the tube and stare blindly at whatever is on TV?

So I opted for no TV above my mantel and instead, we have a 36” sweetheart TV on a small table in the living room. Everyone who comes to visit remarks on how SMALL our TV is. My husband and I have gotten “used to it”. We are moving to a new house and our new TV is 60”.

Although it does not rest above the mantel – will I, too, “get used to it”?

The verdict is not in yet at my friend’s house. And the question now is once again, does size matter?